Advances in hyaluronic acid therapy for knee osteoarthritis: monotherapy and combination strategies: an evidenced based review - PubMed
4 hours ago
- #hyaluronic-acid
- #combination-therapy
- #knee-osteoarthritis
- Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a chronic degenerative joint disease leading to cartilage loss, inflammation, and disability.
- Intra-articular hyaluronic acid (HA) is used for its viscoelastic, anti-inflammatory, and chondroprotective properties, though clinical outcomes vary.
- Recent studies explore combining HA with agents like PRP, corticosteroids, fibrinogen, botulinum toxin A, PDRN, and stem cells to enhance efficacy.
- A literature review of 70 studies (50 RCTs, 20 meta-analyses) shows modest but clinically significant efficacy of HA monotherapy, especially in early to moderate KOA.
- Combination therapies show promise, with HA and PRP demonstrating the most consistent synergistic benefits.
- Short-term improvements are noted with HA and corticosteroids, while other combinations like fibrinogen and botulinum toxin A are under investigation.
- Efficacy is influenced by factors like molecular weight, crosslinking, and injection protocols.